THE assumption of Cebu governor-elect Pamela Baricuatro on June 30, 2025, will not be hampered by an election protest filed by outgoing Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, according to the head of her transition team, lawyer Edmund Lao.
Lao said Baricuatro’s lawyers are ready to answer the election protest after receiving official summons from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Lao, in an interview with reporters on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, said Baricuatro has formed a legal team, composed of lawyers from Metro Manila, to seek the dismissal of Garcia’s election protest.
Lao said Baricuatro’s move to form a separate legal team has allowed her transition team to focus on preparations for her incoming administration.
On June 3, Garcia claimed that there were anomalies in the counting of votes using the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs).
Garcia alleged that technical and software-based evidence has surfaced suggesting that votes meant for her were counted in favor of Baricuatro.
Garcia questioned the election results of more than 4,100 clustered precincts in the province saying that the 2025 midterm polls was not the “honest will of the people.”
“On June 10, 2025, Comelec via courier served summons at the residence of Gov-elect Pam Baricuatro in Pinamungahan, Cebu. The period of five days to file a verified answer commences tomorrow (June 11),” said Lao.
“The deadline of submission of verified answers is on 16 June 2025. Gov-elect Pam Baricuatro’s lawyers are ready and set to file said answer for the dismissal of the baseless case,” he added.
Dismissal
Lao declined to comment further on their legal team’s other moves so as not to pre-empt the case.
However, he described Garcia’s protest as “clearly an unwarranted and unfounded case,” that Baricuatro’s legal team would seek to immediately dismiss.
Baricuatro, in an earlier statement, said Garcia’s protest was politically motivated and had no basis whatsoever.
Lao said Baricuatro had no capacity nor influence to orchestrate the maneuvering of votes, contrary to Garcia’s accusation over alleged pre-program or programmed votes in favor of Baricuatro.
“This is an unlikely argument that she will be held accountable, as she has no involvement in the preparation of these computers that count the votes. Technically, you could imagine that there were more than 300,000 votes difference,” said Lao.
Baricuatro garnered 1,107,924 votes in the last May elections — 340,000 votes ahead of Garcia’s 765,051 votes.
Last May 30, a letter was sent to Garcia by Baricuatro’s transition team requesting for an earlier turnover of important documents by June 15 and a separate meeting with department heads starting June 16 and before June 30.
Baricuatro had accused Garcia of being uncooperative in the turnover process, after Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Cebu Provincial Director Jesus Robel Sastrillo Jr., co-chair of Garcia’s transition team, told them that the turnover of documents will be on June 30.
In response, Garcia said existing guidelines of the DILG for a seamless turnover, do not mandate the turnover of documents before the turnover of responsibilities.
Lao responded that based on their interpretation of DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2025-016, the outgoing administration is explicitly mandated to conduct a comprehensive briefing regarding key governance documents.
Lao said this is crucial so as not to disrupt the delivery of services by July 1, 2025.
He added that if the outgoing administration was to help the incoming administration, it would extend the courtesy of giving access to crucial documents and facilitate meetings with relevant officials at the Capitol.
“I will emphasize and appeal that these are public documents and the public has the right to transparency and most importantly, to avoid disruption. It should be in favor of allowing discussions, meetings, and turnover of documents even prior to June 30,” said Lao. / EHP